Chair



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E. W. BRIGGS, Jr.

Y CHAIR.

No. 530,880. Patented 1m. 11,1894.

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Patented Dec. 11, 1894.

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CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,880, dated December 1 1 1 894.

Application filed April 2'7, 1894. Serial No. 509,245. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND WALTER BRIGGS, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Lyons, in the county of Clinton 5 and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Chair, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to that class of chairs which are provided with seats and backs adto ustabIe together, and the object of the invention is to provide superior devices for adjusting the back of the chair in unison with the adjustments of the seat. This end I attain by providing a screw-shaft having the back I 5 and seat connected thereto so that one will be raised or lowered in unison with the movements of the other, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter and finally em- .bodied in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a chair embodying the essentialities of my invention;

a Fig. 2, a vertical section thereof; Fig. 3, a

cross-section on the line -00 of Fig. 1; Fig.

2 5 4, a similar view'on the of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5, a perspective view of the-seat and back and their connecting parts, they being shown detached; Fig. 6, a perspective view of a modification, the seat being broken away; Fig. 7,

a horizontal section of the same, taken just below the seat; Fig.8, a detail perspective of a varied form of the devices used for steadying the arms of the modified form; Fig. 9, a sectional detail showing the devices for attaching the arms of such modified form to the sliding bar of the seat spindle.

Referring. particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and

5, the reference numeral 1 indicates the legs of the chair, which legs are provided with the braces 2,and with the stationary or main seat 3, all'of which are of substantially the usual construction. Formed in the center of the main seat 3, and passing vertically therein,

is the passage 4, which is'provided with an Internally-threaded sleeve 5, whereby the passage is given the effect of being internally threaded. If so desired, this sleeve 5 may be dispensed with and the passage itself threaded, as will be well understood. Ar- I passage 4 and engaging with the threads of the sleeve 5, is the vertical shaft 6, which is threaded substantially its entire length and provided with the plain .annular portions 7 and 8 at its upper and lower ends respectively.

v9 indicates the seat proper, or that one upon which the user is seated, and this is arranged upon the upper end of the shaft 6, above the smooth portion 7, and is fixed to the shaft so as to turn therewith. Embracing the part 8 of shaft 6 is the bar 10, which allows the shaft free rotary movement therein, and which is held in place by the washers 11, arranged one on each side of the bar and, in turn, retained by the set-screw 12, passing axially into the shafts lower end and binding against the lower washer.

From the shaft 6 the bar 10 proceeds rearwardly and to a point in vertical alignment with the rear edge of the main seat 3, where it is provided with the set-screw 13. The set-screw 13 is provided tosecure the back 14 in place, and this is done by means of the series of vertically-aligned openings 15, formed in the back and adapted respectively for the passage of the screw 13, while the back is adapted to slide in the socket 13 secured to bar 10. By these means the back 14: may be adjusted in relation to the bar 10, and for a purpose that will hereinafter appear.

The back 14 passes up from the bar 10 to a point above the seat 9, and consists of a series of parallelbars, preferably five in number and curving at their upper ends outwardly and thence inwardly, andprovided ,with the rest 16 rigidly secured thereto, which forms the back proper. Located at the rear edge of the main seat 3, and embracing the back 14, is the guide 17, which is secured to the seat 3 and formed with the horizontallyaligned openings 18, through which the several rods of the back'pass, and by which the back is guided in its movements.

19 indicates two set-screws,which are passed through the guide 17, and adapted to engage the back, and whereby the back may be securely and rigidly fastened when so desired. Secured rigidly to the rear end of the bar 10, and arising verticallytherefrom, is the rod 20, which passes through the eye 21, formed on the inner side of the guide 17 and projecting into the rear of the seat 3. From here the rod proceeds upwardly for a distance equal .to about the length of the shaft 6,where too its upper end passes into the socket 22, of

the guide 23. The socket 22 is provided with a set-screw 27, adapted to engage the rod 20,

and the rod is formed with openings adapted for the reception of the screw; and by that means the rod is held into engagement with the socket. I

The guide 23 is formed, as the guide 17, with the horizontally-aligned openings or passages 24, adapted one for each section of the back 14, a set-screw 25 being provided whereby the guide is secured to the back, and whereby its adjustment thereon is permitted. Rigidly secured to the seat 3, at its forward portion, and projecting downwardly therefrom, is the rod 26, which passes through an opening 27 in the forward end of thebar l0, and by which the bar is guided and its proper position retained.

Thus it will be seen that by turning the shaft 6, by means of the seat 9, the seat will be raised or lowered, according to the direction in which the shaft is turned; and that this will be followed by a similar movement of the back 14, owing to its connection with the shaft. By releasing the set-screw 27 of the guide 23, the guide may be disconnected from the rod 20, and the back, otherwise held thereby, released and allowed more movement. In addition to that, the guide may be adjusted on the back and rod 20, and the spring properties of the back accordingly regulated.

The modification illustrated by Figs. 6, 7, and 9, of the drawings, consists of an appliance whereby the chair is adapted for use as an office chair, and provided with arms, as is customary in such devices. This end is attained by securing to the bar 10 horizontallyin number, and which are arranged three on each side of the bar and project to the side of the seat 3. Fo med in the outer ends of the arms 23 are the eyes 29, through which the lower ends of the vertical rod 30 pass and in which the rods are secured by means of the nuts 31. From the arms 28 the rods 30 extend up vertically, and pass through the metallic bushings 32 in the seat 3, and above the same to a point some distance above the seat 9. At a point in horizontal alignment with the seat U the rods 30 are rigidly secured to the castings 33, which are one for each-side and each have the brace-rods 3 L secured thereto by screwing them into the castings and securing them with nuts The rods 34 are two for each casting 33, and are secured at their inner ends to the clip 36, formed of two semicircular and flanged sections bolted togetherand thereby held on the part 7, of the shaft 6. 13y these means the castings, and consequently the rods 30, are kept from useless lateral play. The seat 3 is formed with a depression therein, adapted for the reception of the clip 36, thus allowing the seat 9 to descend nearer the stationary seat 3 than would be possible were itnot for this depresprojecting arms 28, which are preferably six.

sion. A variation of this device consists of that shown in Fig. 8, where there is located on the peripheryof the seat 9, and extending its entire circumference, the section of channel iron 37, which is formed with the passage 38, substantially dove-tailed, and adapted for the reception of the heads 39 of the rods 40. The rods 40 may be of any reasonable number, preferably two, and extend outwardly to the castings 33, to which they are secured by means of the nuts 41. By these means the arms of the chair may be braced, and the seat 0 allowed to revolve freely, irrespective of the rods 40, thereby raising or lowering the seat and its attached parts. The utility of this modified form of my invention will be appar' ent, and it is best adapted for use in offices and other places where arms are necessary or 8 5 desirable. It will be seen that the heads of rods 40 are capable of, and designed to move throughout the length of the slot or passage in the channel iron 37.

Having described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. In a chair, the combination of a frame, a threaded shaft arranged vertically therein, a seat connected to the upper end of the shaft, a back movable vertically on the frame, a bar connecting the back and shaft, a rod arising vertically from the bar, and an adjustable connection between the rod and back, whereby the back is braced and its resiliency regulated, substantially as described.

2. In a chair, the combination of a frame, a threaded shaft movable ertically therein, a seat mounted on the shaft, a rod rigidly se cured to the" frame and projecting downwardly therefrom, a bar con neeted to the shaft and movable longitudinally on the said rod, a back movable vertically on the frame and connected to the bar, whereby the back and seat are moved in unison, and a rod rigidly secured to and arising vertically from the bar [1.0 and an adjustable connection between the rod and back, whereby the back is braced and its resiliency regulated, substantially as de scribed.

3. In a chair, the combination of a station- 115 ary seat supported on legs, a threaded shaft movable vertically th n'ein, a seat proper fixed to the upper end of the threaded shaft, abar loosely mounted on the lower end of the threaded shaft and below the stationary seat and projected beyond the rear side thereof, a back slidably mounted on the rear side of the stationary seat and rigidly connected to the rear end of the bar, a series of rigid rods rigidly secured to the bar and projecting transversely from each side thereof, a vertically extending rod for each of the several transverse rods and rigidly connected thereto and two arms rigidly secured to the upper ends of the vertical rods and one at each side of the chair and slidably connected to the stationary seat at opposite sides thereof, substantially as described.

4.. In a chair, the combination of a stationary seat supported on legs, hreaded shaft movable vertically therein, a seat. proper fixed to the upper end of the shaft, abar loosely mounted on the lower end of the shaft and below the stationary seat and projecting to the rear side thereof, a back slidably connected to the rear side of the stationary seat and rigidly connected to the corresponding end of the bar, a series of rods rigidly connected to the bar and projecting transversely beyond either side thereof, a series of armsupporting rods respectively connected to the rods of the bar and projecting vertically therefrom and slidably connected to the sides of the stationary seat, a collar fitting loosely on the threaded shaft and-at the upper end thereof directly below the seat proper, bracerods connected to the collar and to the armsupporting rods, and arms mounted upon said arm-supporting rods, substantially as do scribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto'aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND WALTER BRIGGS, JR.

Witnesses:

M. H. WESTBROOK, D. WHITNEY. 

